Rotary cutting tool



March 22, 1938. M. cHALLlER ROTARY CUTTING TOOL riginal Filed July le, 1935 Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES ROTARY cU'r'rnvG 'rooL Mano charnel, Tann. Italy Application July 16,

Renewed January 18, 1

ber 24, 1934 'i Claims.

Ihis invention relatesto the manufacture of hobs, milling cutters, circular saws, reamers, screw-cutting taps, drills and the like with teeth 5 of constant profile.

good backed off rotarycutting tool are that the profile of the teeth must remain constant dur.

must not fall 'below a predetermined limit, which in general may be considered to be 6. Thus, f the backing oif angle of any particular point is the acute angle between the tangent and the perpendicular to the operating radius of that point in the plane of operation. Since perpendiculars to these lines also form the same angle, the acute angle between a radius from the operating center passing through the chosen point and the perpendicular to the tangent at said point is a measure of the backing o angle at said point.

By the term backed off is meant the deviation of a line formed by a point on the generating prole in the generation of the tooth with respect to an arc drawn through the initial position of said point fromthe operating center of the tool in the plane of operation of the'tool. The backing o angle is, the angle formed between the surface of the tooth and an arc having its center at the operating center of the tooland lying inl the plane of operation.

The principal types of known rotary backed off .cutting tools are those employing an Archimedean spiral or a logarithmic spiral, which possess n the serious disadvantage that the backing oi o" angle-on the sides of the teeth is small, while a large backing oi angle would give rise to vibrations and would cause the backs of the teeth to be damaged, consequently there is a considerable amount of friction on the said flanks, due to the tangential rubbing which exerts a considerable resistance to forward motion and rapid wear.

A rotary cutting tool having teeth'backed o in such a manner as to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages is describedand claimed in my Patent No. 2,053,392, dated September 8, 1936'. According to the method of generation of the teeth disclosed in said patent, a tooth is generated by malrlng the generating prof-lle run along 5 0 a simple or multiple straight directrix, while maintaining it constantly at the same time in a radial direction. 4

By the term directrix is meant a known or predetermined line along which or with respect ,f1 to which a generator moves according to a given It is known that the essential conditions for a 1935. serial No. 31,701.

938. In Italy Decem- (cl. 'aa-10a)l rule in the generation of a point line or surface to be determined.

In this way a backed 0H tooth is obtained. the profile of which remains strictly constant during successive radial grindings, and the angle 5 of backing off, on account of the fact that it varies, is maintained suiliciently great on the back and on the anks to eliminate friction and the consequent excessive wear.

In this method of generating the tooth, the 10 individual points of the generating prole describe slightly curved lines, the concave side of which is turned towards the rectilinear directrix, these curved lines are arcs of conchoids of which the asymptote is the above said straight directrix 15 line and the center of generation lies on the blank It has been found that if the position, the useful length, and inclination of the rectilinear directrix with respect to the plane of the generating 20 profile are suitably' chosen, the variation in the backing off angle may be contained Within4 strict limits and the initial backing off angle may be chosen sufficiently great and with little variation, and such as to preserve for the backing off 25 angle upon nal grinding a good value, greater in all cases than 6.

Thus, for example, if the directrix is straight and is at the baseof the teeth, and if the initial backing oi angle is made equal to 17, the prole 30 of the back of the teeth is an arc of a Nicomedean conchoid with the concave side turned towards the base of the tooth, the backing oii angle of which over the useful working surface of the teeth varies from 17 (initial backing off angle) to 35 9 (final backing off angle, that is to say, after the last regrinding). v

A rotary cutting tool of this character obviously is not constrained on the flanks, and after a long period of use can be renovated by slight 40 grinding.

The present invention vis based upon the discovery that satisfactory results and, in special cases, improved results;v are obtained if the directrix line asymptote employed is not a straight 45 line and is not an Archimedean spiral or a logarithmic spiral. In this case the individual points of the generating profile during the generation of the tooth, describe conchoids which are nat-- urally conchoids other than Nicomedean conchoids and are functions of the directrix line. chosen.

The teeth obtained with these directrix lines have, like that obtained with the' straight directrlx, a sufciently large and varying backing off angle on the back and on the flanks, seas to ensure a high efilciency of the tool.

The directrix lines maybe oi' any type of the second or fourth order, simple or multiple, the useful length of which is chosen from the pitch of the tooth to be constructed and the inclination of which will give the chosen initial and inal backing of! angles.

Use may, for example. be made for particular templates oi' the tool of arcs of nite curvature of elllpses, hyperbolae, parabolae, spirals, cycloids, etc., and also all arcs of circles having a displaced centre of a nite radius greater than that of the cutter to be constructed.

It has in fact been observed that with such a simple directrix formed from such a displaced 'circular arc, it is possible to maintain the variation in the backing oi angle for example from 17 to 11 in the useful portion of the tooth.

'I'he reduced variation in backing oil.' angle avoids the weakening of the back of the tooth and consequently reduces vibrations.

In fact an essential object of the present ininvention is not only to improve the eiilciency of the tool having backed oil' teeth, but to overcome the objections of a constant backing oil.' angle, which has always been erroneously coupled with the known necessity of having a constant prole.

It is laid down that the backing oil! angle is variable, but contained within strictly predetermined limits, according to the length and number of the teeth and also to the position, inclination and useful length of the chosen directrix.

In the known systems use was made of the so-called straight backing oil, with teeth backed oif with parallel lines, but to the detriment of the constant proiile, and further with too great a variation in the backing on angle.

Such systems which were of little practical value were limited to rough work.

I'he present invention, therefore, employs directrices other than rectilinear directrices, and a. generating prole is made to move with a constant relation to said simple or multiple directrices and to maintain its position ina. constant radial direction with respect to the operating center of the tool.

In this way a. strictly constant profile will be obtained, although the backing oi angle varies. 'Ihe backing oil angle is, however, always a satistactory angle and consequently the object o! obviating friction with the consequent advantages is attained.

'I'he essential feature in the choice of these numerous directrices is that of providing tools with backed ofi' teeth the backing oif angles oi which always vary, but is always the best angle and, therefore, is contained between determined limits, in order to maintain the profile strictly constant, as contrafdistinguished from the known curvilinear tools which have merely a constant backing oil' angle.

It is to be understood that according to the present invention the curved directrix or directrices employed are not straight lines; that is, the special case in which a. straight line is sometimes considered an arc of a circle of infinite radius is not included within the meaning of the term curved line" or the like in the present specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a cutter tooth, backed oil! with a directrix formed by a analist' circular arc having a. displaced centre and a finite radius greater than that of the cutter to be constructed.

Figure 21s a similar view to Figln'e 1 of a cutter tooth backed oif with a multiple directrix formed by two circular arcs of ilnite radii greater than the radius of the tool.

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a lathe on which the cam for the production of teeth backed oif with a curvilinear directrix can be made automatically and with the maximum accuracy.

Referring to Figure 1, AB is the directrlx adjacent the back of the tooth, formed by a circular arc, the centre of which is displaced to the left with respect to the centre U of the cutter and the radius of which is inite.

The ratio between the radius r of the whole tool and the radius R of the directx-lx of the tooth is usually chosen as 1/2.5, but it can be of any other desired ratio.

If now the flank profile of the tooth is traced it will be found that all the points of the generating proille AC describe conch'oids of the circular arc AB.

More particularly the conchcids CD, which is the intersection with the plane of the drawing of the base surface, is obtained by moving the profile AC of the tooth successively to the positicns l, 2, s\. I4, msmtainingthe point A on the line AB.

In Figure 1 itwill be omerved that the initial backing oi angle at A is equal to 17. At an. intermediate point E it is equal to 13. At the last grinding point F it is equal lto 11 and at the end B of the tooth it is equal to 8, 30'. These particulars indicate clearly that the variation in the backing ofi' angle is kept considerably above the minimum permissible value of about 6. This shows that, contrary to the usually accepted view. it is not necessary to maintain a constant backing oif angle in order to obtain a good operation. i

Moreover, it has been found that a constant backing oir angle disadvantages.

On account of the fact that the constant backing of! angle is small there is considerable wear on the back and on the sides, while on the other hand,iftheconstantbackingoif angleislarge, vibrations cur.

'I'he backing oiI angle according to the present invention which decreases with successive grindings in addition to reducing wear to a reasonable value, has also the advantage oi.' adding material tothebackofthetoothandtherebymakingthe tooth stronger. i

An essential condition for a. high emciency of the tool is that the proiile should remain strictly constant during suve grindings as it does in fact remain in accordance with the present invention.

I1' it is desired to keepl the operation. of the backing oiIA angle within more strict limits, use

may be made of a multiple directrlx formed for example as illustrated in Figure 2, oi' two circulararcsPsandST. Aswillbereadilyunderstood, the backing oi! angle atPis 17; the backing oit angle at the commencement of S is equal to 14 and immediately after B is brought back gg l'lgoand the backing oi! angle at T is equal to 'I'he choice oi the simple or multiple directx-ix' andofthetwoinitial andnal backing on' angles will obviously depend other characteristics ot the ness of the materials to be worked.

a prole based on an Archimedean spiral it will be seen that the profile according to the invention has a greater mass represented by the area ABX in Figure 1 and PSTX in Figure 2.

, 1t is obviuusthat in the particular case 1n which the rotary cutting tool is a hob, the tooth is obc tained by radially moving the generator prole along a base helix and maintaining one point of its plane on a curvilinear directrix, of which the projection on a plane tangential to the helix in the point of intersection of the profile plane with said helix is substantially a predetermined curved line, so as to obtain a constant proiile and a variable backing o' angle.

According to a modication ythe generator prole is moved tangentially instead of radially along the base helix.

In making a rotary cutting tool according to the present invention, a camof special shape is used for the control of the tool carrier of the ordinary 'backing off lathe. 4 The cam may be constructed automatically and with the maximum accuracy by the machine illustrated in Fig. 3.

In this gure, 4I is the bed of an ordinary backing-off lathe upon which are mounted the usual poppet head 42 and the slide 43 provided with means, not shown, for regulating the position of the tool with respect to the work carrying mandrel or spindle.

Upon the slide 43 are secured lsupports 44, upon which is rotatably mounted a transverse shaft 45 carrying the template'or reproducing device 46. l

Upon the slide 43 is also mounted a carriage 41 which is movable longitudinally and carries at one end a support 48 to which is secured the point 49 co-operating with the template and at the other end a support 50 having at its upper part a jaw l to which is secured the tool which, in the example illustrated, is formed by a grinding wheel 52 keyed upon the shaft of an electric motor 53.

'I'he grinding wheel 52 acts upon the work 54 keyed upon a vertical rod or mandrel 55.

The shaft 45 and the mandrel 55 are driven by the shafts 51 and 58 respectively from the group of gears of the lathe (represented in the example illustrated by a -single pair of toothed wheels 56 for simplicity).

The ratio of the gearing should be such that the work 54 makes a complete turn for each displacement of the template 46 through one tooth.

VA spring 60 secured to the, supports 44 and 48 tends to pull the'carriage 41 away from the' Work-spindle while holding the template 46 in contact with the point 49.

The operation is as follows:-

When the lathe has been'V started, the shaft 45 rotates andthe template 46 rotates withit so that the point 49 runs over the back of each tooth of the template', thus causing the slide 41 to move gradually towards the right fora distance corresponding 4to the directrix in the form of an arc of a circle as above indicated.

When the point 49 reaches the extreme point of a tooth of the template, the work 54 has made a complete turn. The return motion is then effected in order to-bring the grind stone back into its original position'.

This return is produced by the spring 68 as soon as the point 48 has left the point of a tooth.

and falls on the back ofthe next tooth.

The grind stone then eiectsa new working stroke.

Forthe manufacture ofthe cam the reproducing device or template will. be given a diameter equal to that of'the milling cutter to be constructed; assuming for example that this diameter is equal to 100 m/m., the reproducing device will generate upon the cam a profile such as to back-off the back of the tooth with a directrix Vin the form of anv arc of a. circle if the milling cutter has a diameter equal to 100 m/m. or at ,another point ofthe tooth or outside the tooth according as the diameter of the milling cutter is greater or less than that of the reproducing device.

If it is desired to construct a frontal cam the prole will be formed upon the front face of the said piece of work. In this case the rod 55 will be dismounted and the piece of Work will be keyed to the end of the shaft 58 in place of the bevel wheel 59, which transmits movement to the rod 55. l

What I claim is:

1. A rotary cutting tool, having teethof which homologous points of successive sections, radial of the operating axis of the tool, lie on arcs of conchoids, said conchoids having as their directrix a predetermined curved line having its center spaced from the axis of rotation of the tool, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement of the proiile of generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool'and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane of the profile follows along said curved directrix, said teeth having strictly constant successive radial proles and variable clearance angles.

2. A rotary cutting tool, having teeth of which homologous points of successive sections, radial of .the operating axis of the tool, lie on arcs of conchoids, said conchoids having as their directrix a predetermined curved line 1lying in a plane perpendicular to the operating axis of the tool, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement of the prole of generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane of the profile follows along said curved directrix, said teeth having strictly constant successive radial proles and variable clearance angles. c y

3. A rotary cutting tool, having teeth of which homologous points of successive sections, radial of the operating axis of the tool, lies on arcs of conchoids, said conchoids having as their direc- -trix a predetermined are of a circle of nite radius lying in a plane perpendicular to the operating axis of the tool, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement of the prole of generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane of the prole follows along said curved directrix, said teeth having strictly constant successive radial profiles and variable clearance angles.

4. A rotary cutting tool, having teeth of which homologous points of successive sections, radial of the operating axis of the tool, lie on arcs of t conchoids, said conchoids having as their directrix a predetermined arc of a circle of finite radius lying in a plane normal to the operating axis of the tool and passing through the apex of thel proille of generation, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement o! the proiile of generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane of the prole follows along said curved directrix. said teeth having strictly constant successive radial profiles and variable clearance angles.

5. A rotary cutting tool, having teeth oi which homologous points of successive sections, radial of the operating axis of the tool, lie on arcs of conchoids, said conchoids having as their directrices a predeterminedpolycentric curved line, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement of the prole of generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane of the prole follows along said polycentric curved directrix line, said teeth having strictly constant successive radial proles and variable clearance angles.

6. A rotary cutting tool, having teeth oi' which homologous points of successive sections, radial of the operating axis of the tool, lie on arcs of conchoids, said conchoids having as their directrices a plurality of consecutive arcs of circles of nite radii, said conchoids being generated by combined rotary movement of the proiile of 'generation about the operating axis of rotation of the tool and radial translation so that a predetermined point in the plane oi' the proiile follows along said directrices. said teeth having strictly constant successive radial profiles and variable clearance angles.

1. A rotary cutting tool having a tooth the back of which has a shape conforming with the surface generated by moving a generator prole with a combined movement of rotation about the axis of rotation of the tool and ltranslation in a radial direction relative to said axis, the plane of the pronle being maintained radial with respect to said axi's, and a point on said plane following a plurality of' curved directrix lines having their centers spaced from the axis of the tool. whereby the tooth has a strictly constant profile upon successive resharpenings radially of the axis of rotation, and a backing-oi! angle which decreases throughout the portion of the tooth generated with reference to any of said directrix lines but increases at a point on the tooth corresponding with the meeting oi one directrix line with a succeeding directrix linevand. thereafter again 25 decreases rearwardly.

CHALLIER.. 

